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Tiburon Announces 350 New Jobs At Camp Minden, Louisiana

Area Development News Desk

07/31/2012

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Tiburon Associates Inc. plans to create 350 jobs in northwest Louisiana, with the opening of a maintenance overhaul facility for transport vehicles at Camp Minden, Louisiana.

Transport vehicles are used to move military equipment and personnel to the battlefront. The firm estimates the project will also result in 577 indirect jobs in the regional economy.

Camp Minden is the newest training site for the Louisiana National Guard. It was used as the former 15,000-acre U.S. Army ammunition site before the federal government deeded the property to Louisiana in 2005.

Tiburon, based in Alexandria, Va., won a first-year $14 million contract with its Texas-based partner, White's Paint Blast, to overhaul and recondition combat tactical wheeled vehicles, such as; Humvees, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, trailers, and Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles.

Gov. Bobby Jindal said, This project will not only boost our economy, it will support our brave military men and women. Tiburon overhauls vehicles that have seen action in combat and ensures that equipment continues to be battle-ready. The bottom line is that this project will help create good jobs for our people and make sure that the most powerful military in the world has the resources needed to defend our freedom."

"Tiburon is extremely excited to open our maintenance facility at Camp Minden," Jack Blalock, Tiburon senior business development manager said. "Governor Bobby Jindal and Stephen Moret's Louisiana Economic Development team have been key to our ability to open this facility. We feel we have all the pieces to make the Camp Minden facility a full-service maintenance provider to the Department of Defense. The support from the state allows us to be both cost-effective and technically proficient."

As an incentive to secure the project, LED offered Tiburon a performance-based Economic Development Loan Program award of $500,000 that's forgivable if the company meets its payroll commitments. In addition, Tiburon will receive the services of LED FastStart, the state's workforce development.

In addition to efforts by the state and parishes, the North Louisiana Economic Partnership assisted Tiburon Associates and Camp Minden in completing the project. "North Louisiana Economic Partnership is pleased to support our state and local partners at Camp Minden and Webster Parish as the Tiburon project came together over the last several years," NLEP Chairman Todd Perry said. "This is a great example of how it can take multiple attempts to win a project. Our defense and defense-related support sector is a key component of the area economy. We welcome the Tiburon team to North Louisiana and appreciate the company hiring area residents as they become part of the community."